Data

• Information can be stored and communicated in a variety of forms.
• Computers use binary switches (on/off) to store information.
• Binary (yes/no) answers can directly provide useful information, and be used for decision.

• Similar information can be represented in multiple formats.
• Introduction to binary representation
• The difference between constants and variables in programs.
• Difference between data and information.
• Structured data can be stored in tables with rows and columns. Data in tables can be sorted. Tables can be searched to answer questions. Searches can use one or more columns of the table.
• Data may contain errors and that this affects the search results and decisions based on the data. Errors may be reduced using verification and validation.
• Personal information should be accurate, stored securely, used for limited purposes and treated with respect.

• Introduction to binary manipulation
• Representations of:
  • Unsigned integers
  • Text (Morse Code, ASCII)
  • Sounds
  • Pictures
• Many different things may share the same representation, or "the meaning of the bit pattern is in the eye of the beholder".
• The things that we perceive in the human world are not the same as what computers manipulate, and translation in both directions is required.
• There are many different ways of representing a single thing in a computer.
• Different representations suit different purposes.